Estero Bay Buddies (EBB)

04/07/2025

Join staff of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and discover first-hand why estuaries are known as “the cradles of the ocean” by taking a refreshing journey into the waters of Estero Bay. Wade into mudflats and seagrass beds at low tide to find many of the plants and animals that call this estuary home. Special nets will be provided for participants to collect fish, shrimp, crabs, snails and other organisms. Participants will have the chance to take a closer look at these fascinating creatures with magnifiers and learn how each living creature plays an important role in the ecosystem.

Participants must wear closed-toe shoes (Please note that shoes worn will get wet and muddy, so old tennis shoes or diving booties are the recommended footwear).
Wear a swimsuit or shorts.
Recommended items to bring include a reusable water bottle, snack, towel, coral-friendly sunscreen and a dry change of clothes.

For additional information, call 239-530-1003.

Planned dates for wading trips:
April 15th,2025 at 10am
April 30th, 2025 at 9:30am
May 1st, 2025 at 9am
May 30th, 2025 at 9am

Have family fun while learning about the unique southwest Florida estuaries!

HOW TO SIGN UP:
Register and schedule your Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve Wading Trip here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/estero-bay-aquatic-preserve-wading-trip-registration-1216676725839?aff=oddtdtcreator

WHERE TO MEET:
Bayside of Big Hickory Island just south of the New Pass bridge,
south of Lovers Key State Park,
Bonita Springs, FL 34135

Come explore Florida’s Aquatic Preserves with a wading trip in Estero Bay !

09/19/2024

Fall is fast approaching! This week, Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve staff spotted White Pelicans on the Bay! These migratory birds only come around for fall and winter in Florida following their summer breeding season in the northern states and Canada. Clocking in at almost 20 pounds with 9 foot wingspans, these large birds are hard to miss when they fly overhead in their distinctive V formations. They weigh more than our year-round Brown Pelicans, so they can’t sit in the trees without snapping them, which is why they are often spotted in floating “rafts” like the one pictured.

Photos provided by Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve staff. For more information, visit https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/shorebirdsseabirds/american-white-pelican/ and https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_White_Pelican/id .

09/09/2024

When you picture a sea turtle, odds are, it’s the Green Sea Turtle, Chelonia mydas. These turtles are named for their greenish fatty tissues, which are likely the result of their seagrass-heavy diet. Though not seen as frequently as the Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta caretta, Green Sea Turtles have been documented nesting throughout Southwest Florida, including Fort Myers Beach! This means that there is the occasional Green Turtle sighting within Estero Bay as they move between nesting and feeding locations. It is also possible that juvenile Green Turtles explore estuaries like Estero Bay for food and protection when they are too small to transverse the ocean.

Explore Turtle Time, Inc. at https://turtletime.org/ for more information about sea turtle nesting on Fort Myers Beach and the surrounding islands! For more information about Green Sea Turtles in particular, visit https://turtletime.org/sea-turtles/species/green-turtle/ and https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/reptiles/sea-turtles/green-sea-turtle/ . Photo provided by Turtle Time, Inc.

09/09/2024

Mark your calendars! Monofilament Madness will be on October 26th this year!

🚤🛶NEW kayak launch site at The Mound House added for our "Monofilament Madness" waterway cleanup on Oct. 26th! The first 200 registered volunteers will receive a custom Tunaskin Aquatic Apparel shirt👕 A volunteer appreciation lunch & after party will be at Salty Sam's Marina🥳 Special shout out to all of the sponsors for making this event possible🫶

Visit https://www.klcb.org/events/monofilament-madness/ to register today!

Southwest Florida Association of Environmental Professionals Waste Pro USA Estero Bay Buddies (EBB) Lee Marine Construction LCEC Surfing's Evolution & Preservation Foundation Town of Fort Myers Beach, Florida Southwest Waste Services of Florida Coastal Waste & Recycling

08/23/2024

Get your outdoor gear ready, because National Public Lands Day is coming on September 28, 2024!

With guided hikes, a Touch-a-Truck experience, and information booths, you can join in celebrating the public lands and natural areas of Southwest Florida, and even learn more about different recreational and volunteer opportunities in the area! Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve staff will be on site, so stop by and say hello!

Information about this event and more can be found at www.leeparks.org .

08/19/2024

Always make sure to keep your eyes peeled when you’re in the bay! During a wading trip hosted by the staff of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve, one lucky wader found a little fish that has never been recorded in Estero Bay before! The fish was identified as a juvenile Atlantic Spadefish. The juvenile was no larger than a quarter, but this species has been recorded at nearly 3 feet wide out on the reefs and wrecks of the Atlantic! Moments like this are exactly why estuaries, and Estero Bay specifically, are considered nurseries for a plethora of reef and pelagic fish species around the world.

Photos provided by Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/saltwater/atlantic-spadefish/

08/08/2024

Happy Water Quality Awareness Month from the Estero Bay Buddies! While this typically would refer to drinking water, both the Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration (DEAR) and Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve (EBAP) conduct water quality monitoring in and around Estero Bay! Using water quality devices—which take digital readings of pH, temperature, salinity, and more—and grab samples—bottles of water tested for color and contaminants—staff can evaluate the health of the Bay’s water. They report these results for public use and use them to determine the effects on natural resources like oysters, seagrass, and mangroves!
And DEP staff aren’t the only ones sampling! Every month, volunteers with the Charlotte Harbor Estuaries Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Network (CHEVWQMN, pronounced “Chevy Walkman”) take grab samples and readings at locations from Lemon Bay to Estero Bay. These samples are taken at nearly the same time so that there is a “snapshot” of the water quality throughout southwest Florida!
If you’d like to sample in Estero Bay, reach out to Rebecca Cray at [email protected]. If you’d like to learn about the program in general, or sample in the Charlotte Harbor estuaries, reach out to Arielle Taylor-Manges at [email protected].
To learn more about National Water Quality Month, visit https://nationalwaterqualitymonth.org/ .
Photos provided by Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve.

08/05/2024

In honor of National Oyster Day, let us introduce the Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)! This species of oyster can be found in the Gulf of Mexico and along nearly the entire eastern coast of North America, and is a prominent species in Estero Bay. Oysters are vital to estuarine and shoreline ecosystems because they provide habitat and food for small and invertebrate species, such as the pictured Lightning Whelk. They are also filter feeders, which means they filter and clean the water around them as it flows, keeping it healthy for other organisms. Last but not least, oysters will create reefs through the accumulation of both live and dead shells. These reefs can reduce wave action, thus providing storm surge protection, and provide anchor points for mangrove propagules, which can then become mangrove islands over time. All these important functions make the Eastern Oyster a keystone species, which means that the oysters are vital to the survival of the entire ecosystem. If they were removed, the ecosystem would become something entirely different.

More information can be found at https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/mollusc/eastern-oysters/ . Photos provided by Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve.

05/03/2024

Learn the history of Estero Bay which was dedicated as an Aquatic Preserve in December 1966. Thanks to Bill and Pat Mellor who created a grass roots organization who fought diligently to prevent dredge and fill development. See link below.

"Preserving our Waters" takes a look at the 50-year history of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and the people behind the efforts to establish it as the first...

10/15/2018

We had a great turn out at New Pass/the Dog Beach! 30 volunteers collected 90 lbs of
trash! The strangest things we found were a large comforter and socks.